The Dalmatian islands
South · Dalmatian islands
Off the Dalmatian coast lies a chain of islands made of pale limestone, scented with herbs and reached by boat.
Stone, sea and lavender
The landscape is karst: bare limestone, dry-stone walls, pine and scrub, and small fields of olives and vines. Against that white stone the sea looks very blue. On Hvar lavender is grown and sold, and its scent is part of the island's identity.
Four islands
- Hvar: lavender fields, a lively harbour town, and the Stari Grad Plain, a farmland pattern that dates back to ancient Greek settlers.
- Brač: famous for its white stone, quarried for centuries, and for the beach at Bol known as Zlatni Rat.
- Vis: the farthest out of the four. It was a military base in the Yugoslav era and closed to foreign visitors for decades, which left it quiet.
- Korčula: a walled old town on a small peninsula, a sword dance called the Moreška, and a claim to be the birthplace of Marco Polo.
Ferries and island pace
Life here is arranged around the ferry timetable. Boats connect the islands to the mainland port of Split and to each other, and days tend to follow the sun and the sea rather than a schedule. Evenings are for long meals of fish, olive oil and local wine.
Greek and Venetian past
Greek colonists settled these islands in ancient times, and Venice ruled the Dalmatian coast for centuries afterwards. Their legacy shows in the harbours, loggias and town walls.